Image Credit: Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
Was Bill Clinton the most musical president in the history of the United States? He’s an accomplished jazz saxophonist, openly embraced MTV during his campaign (back when the “M” still stood for “Music”), spent plenty of quality time with rock stars (it was Bono’s beginning as a White House regular), and he even has two Grammys (admittedly, both for Best Spoken Word performances on audiobooks).
This Saturday night, some of the biggest stars in music — Bono and the Edge, Lady Gaga, Usher, Kenny Chesney among them — are going to tip their hats back to Clinton at the “A Decade of Difference” concert at the Hollywood Bowl in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the William J. Clinton Foundation. As a lead-up to the show, Clinton opened up his iPod and let Yahoo take a look at his 20 favorite songs of all time.
The full list is here, and a handful of things stand out. Of course, there’s plenty of jazz on there, as well as an expected number of rock names from the ’60s and ’70s, like Van Morrison, Simon & Garfunkel, Elton John, and Carly Simon.
The newest song on there is Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel,” which suggests that Clinton either has a weakness for trilling Canadians or simply can’t get that ASPCA commercial that makes everybody cry out of his mind.
Interestingly, there are parallels to current president Barack Obama’s playlist, mostly the shout-out to Miles Davis. Perhaps they’ll both find his recent Live Europe 1967: The Bootleg series Vol. 1 under the Christmas tree this year (EW gave it an A, Commanders!)
Disappointingly, Clinton didn’t make any nods to hip-hop the way Obama did when he shouted out Jay-Z and Lil Wayne in his Rolling Stone interview. If Bill would like a little rap education, we have a suggestion where he should start.
What do you think of Clinton’s picks? Let us know in the comments.
More on the Music Mix:
Bill Clinton pens new book ‘Back to Work’ about America’s economic future
Stars Celebrate Tony Bennett
‘Dancer-in-Chief’: Bill Clinton on ‘Dancing With the Stars’?
I’m surprised the ode to Monica “Devil With A Blue Dress” isn’t on there
Yeah… or “Promiscuious”… or “put it in yor mouth”…. or “it wasn’t me”…
lol
I could go on and on
What what, in the butt…..also back that thang up, baby got back
Damn I miss this guy in the White House.
Yep.
Plus one.
Not a bad list – although it’s probably very carefully put together to support a certain image (as is just about every celebrity playlist published).
If you could actually sort his iPod by “number of times played”, the #1 tune would probably end up something like “MMMMBop”!
No, those are really the songs he likes. He has mentioned those artists in interviews , especially the jazz numbers and the 60s and 70s songs he grew up hearing.
It’s not “kibbutzed”. It’s “kibitzed”. Nice comment on Sarah McLachlan, jackass.
This isn’t my kind of music list but I’m glad he didn’t feel the need to throw any hip-hop or Lady gaga on there just because he thinks he’d be considered cooler if he did. Great President.
Because of one little typo, the image of Clinton and Bono hanging out together on an Israeli farm gave me a chuckle. Thanks.
lol..made me giggle too.
Why does he need to include rap? Maybe it isn’t his cup of tea.
Love the John Coltrane/Johnny Hartman version of “My One and Only Love”, one of my personal favorites.
SERIOUSLY,your an idiot!
And the Leon Russel version of a song for you (THE ORIGINAL) is much better!
And knowing Ol’ Bil likes his weed it seems a little staged that there is know STONES there!
Could this story be any more irrelevant. A waste of cyberspace. Who care about his choice in anything.
Who cares what this adulterer likes.
He’s only the best President we had in the past 20 years…… why would anybody care about him?
Clinton left the U.S. with a budget surplus and the respect of other nations. The only thing he really messed up on was deregulation, which was a huge mistake. HUGE. Trusting bankers and the financial sector was not a smart move!
Exactly. At least he wasn’t a blithering idiot.
Why should people HAVE to include rap? Kudos to the president for NOT pandering to political correct nonsense. This is HIS list and it’s perfectly fine as is.
Rap is NOT music.
this comment has been flagged as racist in nature
What? No Babs?? After all the millions she raised for him and his campaigns? Not to mention donated personally to his foundation?? She will NOT be happy with this list!
Oh my God, that “Angel”/ASPCA commerical… The shih tzu with one eye? I have a rescue shih tzu who is blind due to detached retinas in both eyes, the result of being beaten. Every time that commercial comes on, I hold him crazy tight. And send another check to the local Humane Society where we got him.
Off-topic, but hey, EW brought it up!
Miss this man.